Chapter 345: Chapter 129 Grandmas Dreams
Dominic’s POV
After the incident with Vincenzo at the shopping district - where one of Marcus’s remaining associates had been spotted tailing us through the family’s territory - I knew I needed to brief my mother and Nadia and our security detail about Shelton’ escalating surveillance attempts before our countryside trip. When I informed them about his latest breach of our perimeter, Nadia was absolutely livid. Since discovering his connection to the rival families trying to infiltrate our operations, she’d become fiercely protective, determined to keep that snake away from the children at all costs.
During our tactical meeting, I also shared details about the surprise I was orchestrating for Gemma. Despite my mother and Nadia’s assurances that Gemma would be thrilled, I couldn’t shake my nervousness. This meant everything to me, and in our world where a single mistake could be fatal, I wanted it to be flawless.
The week passed in careful preparation, and before I knew it, Saturday arrived. We departed early for the countryside in an armored convoy, heading to Gemma’s grandmother’s house outside our usual territory. Throughout the drive, Gemma was bubbling with excitement, chattering animatedly about her childhood visits to the only place that had ever felt like sanctuary. Her joy was infectious, making the tense journey through neutral ground feel lighter despite our armed escort trailing at a discrete distance.
By lunchtime, we pulled up to a beautiful colonial mansion that stood like a fortress of normalcy. Gemma practically leaped from the reinforced vehicle, dashing through the house until she found her grandmother in the kitchen. "Grandmaaa!" she exclaimed, wrapping the older woman in an enthusiastic embrace that reminded me how precious these moments of peace were in our violent world.
"Clair, my dear, I’ve missed you so much!" The petite woman with kind eyes returned Gemma’s hug with equal fervor, oblivious to the fact that her granddaughter now lived under the protection of one of the city’s most feared crime families.
When they finally separated, Gemma pulled her grandmother forward. "Grandma, I brought four very special people for you to meet. This is Dominic, my boyfriend. And these are Dominic’s nephews, Vincenzo and Carmen. Everyone, this is my grandmother, Edith."
Edith welcomed us with the warmth only a grandmother could provide, her smile genuine as she ushered us to the dining table. Her eyes lingered on me with curiosity - probably wondering how a man like me had captured her granddaughter’s heart. She greeted Willow and Ryder with familiar affection, Gemma’s cousins having accompanied us on previous visits.
"Clair, my dear, where did you find this young man? He’s quite a catch!" Edith winked, making me smile despite the weight of the Glock beneath my jacket. "And these children! They look like they stepped out of a magazine!"
"Grandma, what if I told you I met Dominic thanks to you?" Gemma said, settling into her chair while I remained alert to every sound from outside.
"Thanks to me?" Edith raised an eyebrow skeptically.
"I met him at the store where I bought your birthday present," Gemma explained, causing her grandmother to beam with delight. She had no idea that store was in the heart of our family’s territory, where I’d been collecting protection money that fateful day.
"Well, a man of faith!" Edith nodded approvingly in my direction.
"A little bit," I admitted, thinking of the rosary my mother had given me before I took my first life for the family. "I was at the store buying a present for my mother; she has more faith than I do."
"Mothers always do," Edith replied wisely. "We ask God to protect you when we can’t, and we have faith that He listens to us." Her words hit deeper than she knew, reminding me of my own mother’s desperate prayers for my soul in this blood-soaked life.
Suddenly, Edith looked around the table. "Clair, where’s the fourth person you mentioned? I’ve only counted three, and you said you brought four special people."
"Ah! The other person..." Gemma stood up, her eyes twinkling with excitement that made my chest tight with fierce protectiveness. "The other person, Grandma, is right here." She placed both hands gently on her still-flat stomach.
The room fell silent as Edith processed the news. Then, her hands flew to her face, tears welling in her eyes. She approached Gemma slowly, placing a trembling hand on her granddaughter’s belly. Gemma began crying too, the moment more beautiful than anything I’d witnessed in the brutal underworld we inhabited.
"I can’t believe you’re giving me the joy of meeting my great-grandchild!" Edith exclaimed through happy tears. "I need to go out and buy wool to start knitting my great-grandchild’s layette!"
We all burst into laughter at her enthusiasm, the sound foreign in my world of hushed conversations and coded warnings.
"Take it easy, Grandma," Gemma smiled. "There’s plenty of time. I’m still in the early weeks."
"Time flies, sweetheart," Edith insisted. "After lunch, I’m heading to the craft store. I’m buying lots of blue yarn because I’m certain it’s going to be a boy."
"How can you be so sure it’s a boy, Grandma?" Gemma questioned with amusement.
"I can see it in your eyes, dear," Edith declared confidently. "And I never get it wrong."
"She was right about me and all my cousins," Willow confirmed, prompting Gemma to flash me an enormous smile that made every enemy I’d eliminated to keep her safe worth it.
After our delicious meal, Edith showed us to our rooms. The house was truly magnificent - a spacious colonial mansion with high ceilings and numerous rooms that our security team had already swept for threats. Its pristine white exterior was accented by blue double doors and windows, situated perfectly in the town center where we could monitor all approaches while appearing like any other visiting family.
True to her word, Edith soon prepared to visit the craft store. When Vincenzo and Carmen asked to join her, she was delighted. Vincenzo gallantly offered his arm - the boy’s natural charm serving him well even at his young age - and the three set off at a leisurely pace, with Edith pointing out various landmarks while our discrete security detail shadowed them from strategic positions.
With Gemma napping due to pregnancy fatigue, I seized the opportunity to discuss my surprise plans with Willow and Ryder in the secured study. Their enthusiasm and willingness to help coordinate the logistics reinforced my confidence in this decision that would change everything.
When Edith returned with the children, they were laden with shopping bags and filled with laughter. Carmen had purchased her own yarn and needles, eager to learn knitting from Edith. I chuckled, knowing how determined my niece could be when she set her mind to something - we’d likely all receive handmade scarves before the next territory war broke out.
Edith and Carmen settled in to start their knitting lesson, but they were soon interrupted when Gemma awoke, requesting her grandmother’s special fried doughnuts - what she affectionately called "grandma’s dreams." Without hesitation, Edith bounded to the kitchen, her energy and love filling the house with a warmth that reminded me why some things were worth killing to protect.
